Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive, uniformly fatal tumor usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Soluble mesothelin has been intensively investigated in the serum as a biomarker for this disease. As urine is less complex and less invasive to collect than serum and may be a more acceptable specimen for large-scale screening studies of asbestos-exposed individuals, we determined whether the sensitivity and specificity for MM could be improved by measuring soluble mesothelin in the urine. ⋯ The sensitivity of urinary mesothelin does not warrant the use of urine as a biomarker specimen for MM diagnosis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Concurrent chemotherapy and short course radiotherapy in patients with stage IIIA to IIIB non-small cell lung cancer not eligible for radical treatment: results of a randomized phase II study.
The optimal treatment for patients with stage IIIA to IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) not eligible for surgery and definitive chemoradiotherapy is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate concurrent chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy. ⋯ Upfront chemotherapy combined with palliative radiotherapy (30 Gy) is a promising treatment option in the subpopulation of patients with stage IIIA to IIIB NSCLC not amenable for definitive chemoradiotherapy and deserves further investigation.
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Dyspnea is common among lung cancer patients. As most studies of dyspnea have reviewed patients with active cancer or immediately after treatment, its prevalence during the longer-term period once treatment has been completed is not well characterized. This study quantifies the prevalence of dyspnea among lung cancer survivors and identifies potential correlates that may be amenable to intervention. ⋯ Dyspnea is common 1 to 6 years after lung cancer resection, and is associated with the presence of preoperative dyspnea, reduced diffusing capacity, clinically significant depression symptoms, and lack of physical activity. Further research is needed to test whether strategies that identify and treat patients with these conditions attenuate dyspnea among lung cancer survivors.
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Editorial Comment
Biomarkers are here to stay for clinical research and standard care.
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Multicenter Study
A dose finding study of weekly and every-3-week nab-Paclitaxel followed by carboplatin as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
This nonrandomized study aimed to identify the optimal dose of every-3-week (q3w) and weekly nab-paclitaxel plus q3w carboplatin as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for a phase 3 trial. ⋯ nab-Paclitaxel plus carboplatin is an effective therapy for advanced NSCLC. Based on favorable efficacy and safety profiles, a phase 3, randomized, multicenter study comparing 100 mg/m(2) weekly nab-paclitaxel plus q3w carboplatin to solvent-based paclitaxel plus carboplatin has enrolled patients.